Pumping apparatus



March 1930- G. L. FERGUSON 1,749,912

PUMPING APPARATUS Filed D90. 12; 1927 INVENTOR.

G ale Lj erguson A TTORNE Y5 Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNIT ED STATES PATENT! "OFFICE GALE L. FERGUSON, OF CLEVELAND,- O HIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, I

TO AUTOIRIME PUMP COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO PUMPING APPARATUS Application filed December 12, 1927. Serial No. 239,368.

The present invention, as indicated, relates to pumping apparatus and has for its primary object the provision of a unitary device including a pump which will operate to maintain a storage reservoir in substantially filled condition and which is provided with connections whereby the water in the storage reservoir is used to supply the requirements of a service line, and in which fresh water, as distinguished from stored water, maybe immediately and certainly supplied through a third connection. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said inven-' tion, then, consists of the meanshe'reinafter fullydescribed and particularly pointed out in the claims. 1-

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, b11134 one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used. I

In said annexed drawing: A

The single figure is a fragmentary sectional view of one'form of apparatus designed to accomplish'the above ends.

In said figure the reference numeral 1 indicates a pump easingproviding a pump cham- I her 2 and a priming chamber 3, said pump chamber being adapted to receive pumping apparatus 4 and being provided with an inlet conduit 5 and an outlet conduit 6. The priming chamber 3 is suitably connected with in et conduit'5. The outlet conduit 6 is divided into 3 branches, namely a storage branch 7, a service branch 8, and a fresh water branch 9. I A storage reservoir 10' which may assume practially any form, is suitably connected to the storage branch \7 by screws 11 or similar fastening means, and a conduit v12 provides communlcation. between said branch 7 and said reservoir '10, The service branch 8 is,

screw-threaded at 13' for the reception of pipe connections, and, the fresh water branch 9 .is

similarly threaded as at 14 for the reception of suitable-pipe connections.

The branches -7 and 8 .are arranged to be in constantcommunication with each other, but

the casing is provided with an annular shoulder 15 screw-threaded as at 16 for the reception of a valve organization 17 adapted to separate said branches 7 and 8 from the fresh water branch 9 when such separation is desired. The valve organization 17 comprises a ring 17 provided with external threads for cooperation with the threads 16 and provided on its upper periphery with lugs 18 for engagemeut by a wrench. Said ring 17 affords on its upper surface a valve seat 1-9, and said ring is formed with a spider 20 terminating in a block 21 provided with a central bore 22 for the reception of a valve stem 23. The

valve stem 23 is slidably mounted in the bore 22and carries at its upper end a valve 24. for cooperation with the seat 19, and a pin 25 extends, through the lower end of said valve stem and supports a washer 26 of suitable soft material for limiting the upward movementof the valve stem. The valve 24 is biased toward a closed position by gravity.

. In the fresh water branch 9 there is provided a lateral port 27 to which is connected a pipe 28 leading to a pressure responsive switch 29. This switch may take any desired motor circuit is closed manually and the pump is thus operated to force liquid'into the outlet conduit 6. Presuming that all valves in the fresh water and service lines areclosed, the pressure in the fresh water line will immediatelybuild up to such a value as to open the valve 24 but not to such a value as to operate the switch 29. The valve 24 belng open, liquid will-flow in three directions;

i. e., to fillthe fresh water line, to fill the service-line, and to fill the storage reservoir 10. As long as the pump is operating, the pressure in the fresh Water branch 9 W111 be slightly higher than the pressure in the servwaterbranch 9 will operate on the switch 29 tofbreak the motor circuit and stop the'operaice line and in the storage reservoir, since the valve 24-has a very shght throttling effect. Consequently said valve 24 will remain openq ntil such time as the pressure in the three ibranches is built up to the optimum value. At such time the pressure in the fresh tion of the pump. As soon as the operation of the pump ceases, the pressures in the three branches attempt to equalize, and, as soon as such pressures are equalized, the gravity bias of the valve 24. will close such valve. If, now,

a valve in the service line is opened, liquid will replace the liquid drawn through such valve.

ow from the storage reservoir 10 to The pressure in the branches 7 and 8 is thus reduced below the pressure in the branch 9 and the pressure in the branch 9' therefore opens the valve 24. If suflicient water is/ drawn through the service line, the pressure in the branch 9 will drop sufiici'ently to cause actuation of the pressure responsive switch a 29 to close the motor circuit and initiate op- -eration of'the pump once more. When the pressure has been again built up to the desired value, the switch 29 will again break the motor circuit. It will be understood that the arrangement herein shown and described is such as to cause a considerable lag between a reduction'of pressurein the service and; storage branches 8'and 7 respectively and the actuation of the switch 29. If, on the other hand, a valve in the fresh water line is opened, there is an immediate substantial. reduction in the pressure in the'fresh water branch ,9,

. since the valve 24 remains closed to prevent replacement of any of the liquid in the fresh water branch 9 by liquid held in'the storage tank. Consequently the switch 29 will be actuated almost simultaneously with the opening ofa valve in the fresh water line and op-.

eration of the pump will immediately be in-- the fresh water valve, and the pressure in the fresh water line will thus be raised to such itiated. If the fresh water valve is opened very slightly, the pump will force more liquid into the outlet conduit than can flow through a value as to cause the switch 29 to break the motor circuit. Thus a slight opening of a a valve in the fresh water line will causeTre-J peat-ed alternate operation of the switch29.

Since, however, the pressure in the branches '7 and 8 is substantially that pressure which will cause actuation of the switch 29 to break the motor circuit, and since the valve 24 is under a gravity bias toward closed position, there will never be a time when opening of a valve in'the fresh water line will cause the valve 24 to be opened. Consequently, all

probability of a flow. of stored water through the freshwater line is obviated by the pres ent arrangement.

The advantages of thepresent invention 4 .r will be quite obvious without more than a casual mention thereof. It will be readily understood that units of the type herein dis.-

closed are intended primarily for domestic use in locations where city water?- is not supplied. Under such circumstances, it is, of

course, desirable to have a quantity of stored Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change'being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed,provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent ofsuch stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point'out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. Pumping apparatus comprising a casing providing a .pump chamber, an inlet and an outlet for said chamber, pumping mechanism arranged in saidchamber, said outlet comprising a storage branch, a service branch,

and a fresh water branch all formed in said casing, a check valve mounted in said casing between sald' fresh water branch and said storage and service branches, and means for driving said pumplng mechanism.

2. Pumplng apparatus comprising a casing providinga pump chamber, an inlet and an outlet for saidchamber, pumping mechanism arranged in said chamber, an electric motor for operating said pumping mechanism, said outlet comprising a storage branch, a service branch, and a fresh water branch, means top'revent flow of fluid from said stor-v age and service branches into said freshwater branch, and-a pressure responsive switch connected tosaid fresh-water branch and adapted to make and break the electrical circuit for said motor.

Signed byime this 8th day of December, I

' GALE L. FERGUSON. 

